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Paris has always been one of the
major tourist destinations in Europe. The city is situated on
the banks of the Seine River and is one of the largest European
capitals. The metropolitan area of the city is one of the most
populated in Europe, about 11.5 million people live in it. Paris
is a leading political, business and cultural centre with a
global influence on the arts and fashion. Many international
organizations and large companies have their offices in the
city. Paris is world-known with its neo-classical architecture
and is a home to many museums, art galleries, historical
monuments and recreation places.
The Eiffel Tower is the symbol
of Paris. It is an iron structure erected on the Champ de Mars
beside the Seine River. It is 324 m. high and stands out against
the skyline of the city. The tower was built for the celebration
of the French Revolution centenary and was inaugurated on March
31, 1889. The builder and architect of the tower, Gustave Eiffel
is also famous for designing the iron backbone of the Statue of
Liberty. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited building in the
world. The annual flow of visitors is about 6 million a year,
more than the Empire State Building with 3.6 million and the
Tokyo Tower with 3 million. The tower was the tallest structure
in the world for its times and replaced the Washington Monument.
It remained so until 1930. The tower was struck by lightening in
1902 and 300 feet of the top were reconstructed. Today, the
tower has 1660 steps to the top and elevators. It is made on
several levels and is a host of several venues. The twinkling
lights of the tower were at first made for the arrival of the
year 2000. They did not function for about a year and were
brought back in 2003. Today, the Eiffel Tower looks elegant and
alive with 4 floodlights rotating on the top, which make it
visible miles away from the city.
At the end of Champes-Elysees
is the Arc de Triomphe. It is situated in the middle of the
large circular square Place Charles De Gaulle, from which about
12 streets named after French military leaders emanate. Built
between 1806 and 1808, it followed the model of the Arc of
Constantine in Rome. It commemorated the victories of Napoleon
and the grand army who had won them. The Arc de Tromphe is
lavishly decorated in rose marble in the columns and the front
paneling. The bronze horses on the top of the monument were
taken from Sr. Marc in Venice. There are the names of generals
who were in charge of the French troops during the regime of
Napoleon engraved on the Arc. It is adorned with many
bas-reliefs commemorating the battles of the emperor. The most
famous one is the Departure of the Volunteers in 1972, also
known as the Marseillaise. At the top of the monument there are
30 shields, each of them bearing the name of one of the
successful battles of Napoleon. The Arc includes as well the
Grave of the Unknown Soldiers from WWI. The Arc is a home of an
observatory with glorious views of Paris and places in the city.
Notre Dame de Paris is a Holy
place of worship, a premier tourist attraction and one of the
most beautiful cathedrals in the city. It is located on the
banks of the Seine River and in the eastern part of the Ile de
la Cite. It is the place of residence of the archbishop of Paris
for the Roman Catholic Church. It is a supreme example of the
Rayonnant style. It has two massive towers from the Early Gothic
period, which crown the western façade divided in three stories
and doors adorned with carvings and surmounted by figures of the
Old Testament kings. The western façade of the cathedral is the
most famous sight for tourists. Stained glass is its major
feature. A 'Rose Window' is an intricate and massive window
located in the centre of the front. The southern tower houses
Emmanuel bell cast in 1631. The connection between the two
towers is the Grand Gallery, which holds the famous gargoyles of
the cathedral.
Monmartre is a historic hill at
an altitude of 130 meters in Paris and is crowned by the Sacre
Coeur Basilica. It has always been connected with culture and
trends and has many cafes and studios of many great artists.
Sacre Coeur is a Byzantine basilica and is crowned by white
elongated domes. The white stone whitens with age and gets more
beautiful as time passes by. It has a bell weighing 19 tons,
which can be heard from the distance. The remarkable statues on
the façade are made of bronze and depict Joan of Arc, St. Luis
and Christ with his hands raised in blessing. The interior of
the basilica is adorned with mosaics and a figure of the Virgin
and Child. Sacre Coeur was erected in 1914. It is an important
place for pilgrimages of worshippers from all over the world. It
is an imposing building and a landmark of Paris.
The Louvre is one of the
largest museums in the world and one of the most famous. It
began as a fortress, later it was a royal residence and in 1793
it became a museum. It has an enormous and varied collection of
300 000 works of artists from all over the world. The art of
works spans over 3000 years. The collections on display are:
Western art from the Middle ages to 1848 and civilization, which
have influenced it. There are the Oriental, Egyptian, Etruscan
and Greek departments with art objects and graphic art. There is
a section devoted to the history of the Louvre as well as
divisions dedicated to Asian, African, Oceanic and American art.
The latest addition to the museum was the Glass Pyramid, which
is a combination of modern art and historic architecture. It
allows light to penetrate to the underground floor.
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